Wild Vines grow in the wild, grapes begin to ferment (rot on the ground)

Natural Vines tended by humans, grapes ferment in human devised containers

Wine Humans plant and nurture vines, use human devised containers to assist fermentation

Parkerized Humans plant and fertilize vines, use containers and technology to manipulate grapes into wine

Industrial Workers plant and maximize output of vines, use whatever inputs necessary to efficiently create a product marketed as wine
 

Read more about our philosophy, perspective, and perhaps grasp on reality here. 

Inspired by Alice Feiring’s writing on Japan and Natural Wine 

Every wine in the Farmstead Wines collection is naturally farmed and handcrafted. While there are certainly different practices and ideas employed by each farm, they share a common theme: natural equilibrium. While it would be simpler to put each farm into a category of biodynamic, organic, sustainable, etc, such categories ignore the complexity of nature, agriculture and winegrowing. The natural world and humans’ relationship with and in it can rarely be explained in a single word, phrase, or government certification. All of our farms do use techniques that are considered organic or biodynamic practices, but they are employed for a purpose beyond marketing or a certification program. Our farmers utilize these methods for only one reason: quality. The only way to have really fantastic, complex wine is by growing great grapes. Great grapes are the fruit of a healthy plant. Fortunately, a fundamentally healthy plant grows best in a naturally maintained environment. Pesticides, chemicals and artificial inputs do not contribute to the fundamental health of the soil, the plant or the grapes. But this should not be mistaken for plants growing in the wild. Wine is an agricultural product, a delicious beverage that results from mans ability to work in harmony with nature.  Wines of the highest quality are not only the fruit of a healthy vine, but our human ability to cultivate and cooperate with nature.
The trend over the last 50 years has been to industrialize agriculture, turning farms into factories and winegrowing is no exception. Foods and beverages, in many ways, have become nothing more than commodities- a series of inputs, most of which are chemical or artificial manipulations, are added up to create a consumable output. These wines, at best, are designed to have very specific flavors, much like a soft drink.  In response to this trend, many winegrowers are revolting by creating wines that they believe are without the addition of human inputs. This opposite trend also ignores that agriculture is in and of itself a human technology. Many of these wines are certainly interesting, but there flavors are more of a curiosity than an enjoyable drink.  While these and other trends may be popular now and in the future, Farmstead Wines  are timeless. Our farmers use agricultural practices that promote and maintain the natural vitality of the environment; methods that allow a vine to bear delicious fruit; and utilize techniques that preserve and maintain the complex flavors of the grapes.
At the core of Farmstead Wines is our belief in the ability of humans to nurture, maintain, preserve and contribute to life on planet earth. We do not think humans are a scourge, nor do we believe humans are infallible. Farmstead Wines are just one example of the ability of people to positively contribute to a healthy, enjoyable life while cooperating with and supporting nature and other people.
 

We’ve been arguing the importance of knowing the people that farm the grapes and make the wine for awhile now, but this is truly alarming. While many people are focused on the been arguing the importance of knowing the people that farm the grapes and make the wine for awhile now, but this is truly alarming. While many people are focused on the scandal involving Brunello di Montalcino (FYI many big name wine factories have been adding cabernet and syrah to improve their scores and reviews- shocking.) there is a very real criminal problem in cheap Italian wine. Even Time magazine is covering the story-some factories have been adding antifreeze ingredients to wine to improve its perceived value. You can read more about the details here.Absolutely, insanely criminal. What is even more shocking, is how casually Time mentions that .3% methyl alcohol is the legal limit! Government administered certification programs are obviously not the answer. Whether you’re buying food, wine or toys these days, it clearly pays to know the person growing or making it.

Marketing in the wine industry is only skin deep.  Have you ever tasted a wine that wasn’t made by a family stomping on grapes? Of course not. In the wine business, every winery is family-run or based on some family’s long standing tradition. Even Yellowtail is family owned.  The human pysche must be wired to believe that nostalgia and tradition are an intrinsic good.

The crux of the issue, as explained to me by a vinaroon in Fruili, is technique versus technology. The techniques of winegrowing and making are no longer being passed from generation to generation. Technology is replacing a knowledge of the fundamental processes in the vineyard. Instead of applying a particular technology to improve or facilitate a traditional technique, the technology leads the way. People are led to believe that Jesus wasn’t the only one who could turn water into wine. Modern winemaking technologies allow water additions, tannin powder, and micro-oxygenation to replace sound farming practices and patience. Wine, in this model, is no longer a living, agricultural good, but a product of innovation. Andrea was not arguing, however, that wine should be made without any use of technologies. A  balance is important. Each person has to find that balance for themselves, but our farmers share a common philosophy-grow great grapes and bottle  the flavor.

Compared to literally thousands of years of knowledge about how to grow grapes, modern winemaking technologies are nothing more than experiments. The best winemakers apply centuries of agricultural practice to grow great grapes. These practices require endless hours farming by hand. Then, they use some modern techniques, like stainless steel barrels or temperature controlled fermentations to coax, not manipulate those grapes into the bottle.

Have you heard the news? Those of you who prefer to put your head in the weathered limestone and think that wine is still made in complete harmony with nature in small baskets may want to stop reading. Unfortunately, wine is no stranger to factory farming. Industrial agricultural practices in the wine business often necessitate the use of chemicals and pesticides which make their way into your wine glass. This is why we only work with known and trusted farmers. They do farm naturally and grow wine in traditional, romantic ways. While we drink Farmstead Wines primarily because of the high quality, it is nice to know that our free-range chicken isn’t sharing stomach space with pesticides.

I’m serious. Coca-Cola will someday be made from organic ingredients. When that day comes, what will you put in your glass? I don’t care whether you think that development is good or bad- I just want you to consider what organic actually means. There are three reasons to be organic- to save the environment, to market a product or to obtain the highest quality. All of them have their merits, but for my money, I only care about the third reason- Quality. Our farmers focus on working in harmony with nature to raise healthy plants that produce delicious fruit. Long before the advent of industrial agriculture, with its pesticides, clones and monocultures, humans cultivated the earth. No-one called this farming “organic.” It was just farming. The goal was to cultivate healthy, delicious fruits and vegetables. Naturally farmed is far more important than an organic government certification program. Naturally farmed is both pre- and post-industrial agriculture. It is a culture of farming that respects and nourishes the land. Farmstead Wines are fantastic because our farmers cultivate healthy, biodiverse vineyards, to raise delicious fruit. No chemicals, no pesticides, with love, is not a  marketing idea nor a green idea but a fundamental tenant of high quality food and wine.